Speak Now
by RaspberryTickleBear
Summary: Blaine Anderson is satisfied with his life. He is the history teacher at McKinley High, he's dating the hot Spanish teacher Santana Lopez, and he sticks to his daily routine. That is, until the gorgeous new music teacher Kurt Hummel comes into the picture, drawing Blaine back into the world of performance and flipping his entire world upside down. Teachers!Klaine.
1. Chapter 1

Blaine Anderson walked through the front doors of McKinley High far too early in the morning on Monday, September 1st. It was the first day of school, and as always, Principal Figgins had called the entire staff in to work early so they could have a "celebratory fizzy beverage" before the start of the new school year.

He had his brown leather briefcase dangling from one hand and cradled a history textbook in the other as he walked down to the staff room. Hopefully, the AP U.S. History class he would be teaching first period wouldn't be delayed by Principal Figgins' little party, as his first period classes had been every year for the three years he had been employed at McKinley.

"Blainey!"

That was the voice of Santana Lopez, the resident Spanish teacher and Blaine's girlfriend. She strutted up to Blaine in her 4 inch heels and leaned down to pluck a kiss on his cheek.

"Couldn't you wear some sensible shoes?" Blaine asked somewhat irritably, accepting the kiss.

"Baby, you know I wear 4 inches or I wear nothing. And besides, they go perfectly with my dress! Now, if we're going to talk about fashion..." Santana surveyed Blaine's khakis, striped sweater vest, plaid collared shirt and purple bowtie with distaste.

"Come on," Blaine said, avoiding the judgmental eyes of his girlfriend, "Let's get this over with."

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><p>"Good morning, McKinley teachers and staff," Figgins droned in his distinctly Indian accent, "And welcome to the start of a new year. There have been a few changes made over the summer vacation. The cafeteria menu..."<p>

He went on to describe the particulars of the lunches being served this year, the new heating/cooling system, and the peer tutoring program being started. Blaine found himself spacing out.

"There has been one change in staffing this year," Figgins continued, "After 9 years as music and theater director at McKinley, Mr. Ryerson has decided to go into an early retirement."

The cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester, stood up from her chair, waved like a queen, and mouthed, "you're welcome." Blaine rolled his eyes, wondering what awful thing Sue to poor, crazy old Mr. Ryerson.

"Thank you, Sue. You may sit down now," Principal Figgins dismissed. "I'd like to introduce you to our new music teacher, Mr. Kurt Hummel."

A man wearing dark wash jeans, an off-white button down, and an incredible blue velvet vest that made his blue eyes look even blue-er stood up from the far corner. Blaine's breath caught in his throat, and he wondered how he hadn't noticed the new teacher earlier. He was gorgeous.

"Uh, hi," the man said, waving a little uncertainly, "I'm Kurt Hummel and I'm going to be teaching orchestra, band, and drama. I'd also like to try and get the McKinley glee club started up again after school."

Coach Sylvester shouted, "You mean gay club?" and cackled loudly. Blaine felt his heart clench up, almost scared for Kurt. Sue could be a really harsh.

Luckily, Kurt smiled the tiniest bit and ignored the coach's outburst. "As I was saying, I want to direct a show choir at McKinley. The problem is, I need a co-director to help me. I've already run the idea by Principal Figgins, and he gave it the all-clear. Any takers?" He smiled shyly. Blaine could see the desperation in his eyes.

"I would love to," Blaine said.

Kurt stopped for a millisecond before exhaling and saying, "Thanks so much, mister..."

"Blaine," Blaine answered with a smile, "Blaine Anderson."

"Thanks, Blaine. Can we meet up during lunch or something so we can talk?"

Blaine nodded, and said, "Lunch."

Principal Figgins nodded appreciatively at them both, then addressed the rest of the staff again. "Now, if I could get a staff member to help with the carpool line after school-"

He was cut off by the loud buzz of the warning bell. 40 teachers and staff stood up, gathered their things, and dashed for the door all at once. Figgins' shouts about carpooling were ignored as everyone rushed to their classrooms.


	2. Chapter 2

"So," said Kurt Hummel as he sat down behind his brand-new teacher's desk at lunchtime, "What made you want to help out the new guy?"

Blaine sat down on the other side of the desk. "To be honest, I've wanted to direct a glee club for a while now. I was actually in one when I was in high school."

Kurt smiled widely, and Blaine raised his eyebrows before continuing, "Something from that grin tells me you're a show choir alum too."

Kurt laughed. "Yeah, I went to Carmel High. Glee's kind of a big thing there."

"Hold on a second. You were in Vocal Adrenaline?" Blaine gasped in awe, "You beat us at Nationals in 2011! You guys were incredible!"

"Wait... You're Blaine Anderson, the Blaine Anderson of the Dalton Academy Warblers?"

"The one and only!" Blaine did jazz hands, "Wow, this is such a coincidence!"

Kurt smiled slyly. "I like to call it fate."

They held eye contact a little longer than usual for a couple of near-strangers, but then Blaine suddenly shifted uncomfortably in his seat and pulled out a few papers from his briefcase.

"I printed out an auditions sign-up sheet in my free period. Wanna take a look?" Blaine reached across the desk and handed the paper to Kurt.

"That's great! We can put some of these up around the building. Is tomorrow afternoon okay for the audition date?" Kurt replied.

"Sounds good. See you around, Kurt," Blaine said, picking up his briefcase.

"Later, Blaine," Kurt responded, sitting back in his rolly chair and cracking into another grin.


	3. Chapter 3

The next afternoon, Kurt and Blaine sat together on the stage of the auditorium, shuffling around the audition forms that kids had turned in before they sang.

"That was fantastic. I can't believe how good the kids are these days," Blaine said, shaking his head in wonderment.

"I know! We're going to have to cut a lot of people."

"Kinda takes you back to our glory days, huh?" Blaine stared at a spot in the corner of the auditorium, but his gaze went far further than that.

"Exactly. That one boy who sang I Can't Say No reminded me so much of myself. I remember when I was in high school, I was desperate to sing Defying Gravity for my first Sectionals. There was this big diva-off between me and the girl who is now, oddly, one of my best friends, to decide who would get to sing it. I ended up screwing up the song on purpose so my dad wouldn't feel bad about having a son who sang girl songs. Sorry, I'm sure you don't really want to hear about my high school sob stories," Kurt said, color quickly rising to his already rosy cheeks.

"No, no! I like hearing you talk. And, just so you know, I've sung my fair share of girl songs too. I'm sure you remember  
>our set list of P!nk and Katy Perry from back in the day," Blaine replied.<p>

"How could I forget?"  
>Then Kurt started singing. His crystal clear voice rang through the empty auditorium, and Blaine was stunned for a moment.<p>

"You think I'm pretty without any makeup on, you think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong..." he sang.  
>Blaine's face stretched into an enormous grin, he closed his eyes, then looked up at the ceiling for a second in ecstasy. Luckily, he came to his senses enough to come in to the chorus with a kick-ass harmony.<p>

"You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on. I can't sleep, let's run away and don't ever look back, no, never look back. My heart stops when you look at me, just one touch and baby, I believe, this is real, let's take a chance and don't ever look back, no, never look back..."  
>They finished the song together, adding in ridiculous gestures and quirky dance moves.<p>

"I'm impressed, Kurt. Your voice is still as amazing as it was in high school."

"Not so bad yourself, Anderson. We have to do this again sometime."

"Definitely. How about this time tomorrow? You pick the song." Blaine held out his hand, and Kurt took it.

"Deal." They shook on it.


	4. Chapter 4

"That was great," said a very out-of-breath Blaine the next day. He and Kurt had just sung that old Beatles song, Got To Get You Into My Life.

"That," Kurt replied, plopping down on a chair and taking a sip of water from a bottle, "was utterly fantastic."

Blaine sat down next to him, plucking the water bottle from his hands and taking a gulp before Kurt playfully stole it back.

"So what are we going to do about glee club?" Blaine said seriously, "I think there were 30 kids who were good enough to get in, minimum."

Kurt leaned over to rest his chin on his hands thoughtfully. "I always thought a smaller club would be better. Don't get me wrong, Vocal Adrenaline was great, but I feel like so many kids were getting pushed to the back row, you know?"

"How about this; we narrow it down to 35 kids. Then we have a set of group auditions, see how they work with each other. Then we can choose the people who will create the least amount of drama. Sound good?" Blaine looked at Kurt apprehensively, awaiting his answer.

"That's a great idea!" Kurt smiled genuinely. "But I have to admit, the drama kind of makes the glee club, doesn't it? The breakups, the back-stabbing, the pregnancy scandals, the sexuality confusion... It's all so intriguing. I might be a horrible person for saying that, but-"

"No, I get it. I mean, too much of it would kill the club, but the right amount might build the bond between the members. Going through a lot of crap is what will make them stronger. It'll make anybody stronger," Blaine agreed.

"God, that was brilliant. You sure you're not the school counselor?" Kurt giggled.

"Not a chance." Blaine found himself staring at Kurt's eyes. They were not only just the glassy blue that they appeared to be from far away; they morphed from blue to green to gray then back to blue. It was very distracting.

Kurt took a deep breath. "I'm really glad you're my co-director. I was so scared to come to this big new school that apparently doesn't have a huge history of respect. You're so brave about standing up for kids. I saw you call off that football player picking on the kid in the wheelchair yesterday. I was in awe."

"They're just kids," Blaine said softly, "But they're cruel."

What happened next, Blaine couldn't really explain it. Both men leaned forward in a sudden jolt as though some gravitational force had drawn them. Blaine's hand flew out from under his leg to rest on Kurt's thigh and his lips glided past Kurt's and rested on his cheek for a millisecond.

Then it was over. Blaine sprung away like he had been shot and hastily reached for his briefcase at his feet. Of course, he missed, and ended up swatting at Kurt's ankle.

"Sorry, sorry, I- I gotta go do- I have to go see my girlfriend!" Blaine shouted, a lot louder than he meant to.

"Girlfriend?" Kurt said before he could stop himself.

"Yeah, girlfriend! Santana! Did I not mention her before? She's great, she's wonderful, I have to go see her now, bye!" Blaine choked in a sort of hysterical laughter.

He was already out of the door before Kurt feebly said, "Wait!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Thanks to all you lovely humans who have been reading! Special thanks to the reviewers who informed me of the HTML text in the last 3 chapters. I hope I got that fixed! Computers are not my strong suit *sigh*. Anyways, hope you enjoy this next chapter, and as always, I love reviewers!**

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><p>Kurt ran down the hallway to his office while pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. There was only one person to call in a situation like this.<p>

"Rachel?"

"Hey, Kurt! How's the glee club going?"

"Um, well, I- I have a bit of a problem with that."

"Ohmygod. Did nobody audition? I'm so sorry-"

"No! No, there are actually way too many kids. But that's not the issue. It's my co-director."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Um...it's a him."

"Ooh, Kurt. Do you mean to tell me that you have a boy crush?"

"I guess. Okay. I do. A lot. And I thought he liked me too, but he has a girlfriend, and-"

"Is he gay?"

"I think so, and you know how accurate my gaydar is. And he kinda...kissed me. Sort of, a little bit. But then he jumped away and started talking about his girlfriend and rushed out of the room and I'm really confused and I've only known the guy for two days!"

"Wow."

"Wow what, Rachel."

"This is starting to sound like a sitcom."

"Real helpful, thanks."

"Sorry. You need to ask him."

"Ask him what?"

"You know, if he's gay!"

"I can't just go up to him and ask that! I'm in Ohio, Rach!"

"Come on, you can figure out a way to work it into a conversation! I'm sure there's going to be at least one gay guy in your glee club. Work with that. Be subtle."

"I guess that is the only way to find out, isn't it. I mean, if he really is gay, then he definitely isn't admitting it to himself or to anyone."

"Yeah, see? Listen, Kurt, I gotta go, my rehearsal break is over. But I expect frequent updates on this whole situation, got it?"

"Okay. Bye, Rachel," Kurt said, and turned off his phone. What had he gotten himself into with the magical, gorgeous, talented, brilliant, wonderful man called Blaine Anderson?


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, everyone! ("Hello, wonderful author," you say!) Here's a quick lil' chapter for you. I hope you like it, and as usual, reviews are greatly appreciated. **

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><p>Blaine knew he would have to speak to Kurt again sometime soon. They needed to talk about glee, and about...other things.<p>

God, he was so stupid. Why had he done that? He was definitely straight. No doubt about that. He was dating Santana, after all. Straight as can be. Not a gay bone in his body.

And damn it, he had been so awkward.

This was all flying through Blaine's mind as he strode down the hall to his office the morning after he and Kurt's...thing. He distracted himself by adjusting the straps on his briefcase, trying to configure it for maximum comfort.

BAM.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry- Blaine?"

Kurt. Of course Blaine had smacked into Kurt in the middle of the hallway, knocking all of their things to the floor.

"Uh, h-ha-hi," Blaine stuttered, then mentally cursed himself for how stupid he sounded. "Hi, Kurt."

"Hey! Do you want to talk about the glee club list, because we did kind of promise the kids we'd have it by this afternoon..."

Okay, Kurt was just going to ignore "it" for now. That was good.

"Uh, sure. Yeah. I liked your idea about splitting them off into groups. How about we just go in to the staff room really quick and decide on the kids for these callbacks?" Blaine said.

"Sure."

Blaine hastily exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath, and the two walked in and sat down at a table to work. Completely professionally, of course.


	7. Chapter 7

It was decided. There would be 18 kids in the glee club, the perfect amount in Blaine and Kurt's minds. Nearly a week had passed since the callbacks that had decided the group, and both directors were fully immersing their students in the world of show choir.

Blaine was at the whiteboard, explaining to the attentive teenagers about different key signatures. Then the door opened, and Kurt walked in, waving a folded sheet of paper in the air.

"I hold in my hand the rules for our sectionals, and, more importantly, our competition!" Kurt announced.

A cheer arose from the group.

"Well, come on, Mr. Hummel, spit it out!" Blaine said, prancing over and attempting to glance over Kurt's shoulder. Kurt quickly moved the paper away and sat on the piano.

"Okay. Drumroll please, Frank," Kurt said to the tall kid behind the drumset. Once the boy had rolled for 4 solid beats, Kurt put his hands up in the air.

"The St. Mary's Academy for Delinquent Girls, and the Dalton Academy Warblers!"

Blaine gasped, louder than the glee club's cheering. "No way."

"Yes way. Guys, our own Mr. Anderson was in the Warblers back in high school. They're an A Capella all-boys choir, and they're pretty great. But I think we're going to be better."

Blaine was still in shock. "Wow," he mumbled to himself, "I wonder if they ever found an actual director."

Kurt smiled as he jumped off the piano and walked over to where Blaine was standing. "But remember. They were good back in the Middle Ages when we were in high school." This got a good-natured laugh out of the group. "They won't be as good without their star member Blai- Mr. Anderson!"

Kurt patted Blaine lightly on the back and put another hand on his waist. Then he quickly jumped away, remembering how uncomfortable Blaine had been last week after their...whatever that was.

"Are there any special rules?" Blaine asked, trying to pear at the sheet once again.

"Yes! For this year's Sectionals, there has to be at least one duet."

The crowd ooh-ed and ah-ed, until one pretty blonde cheerleader in the back yelled, "A blanket?"

"No, that's a duvet, Brenda. A duet is a performance by two people. Their voices meld together to become one, and it's one of my personal favorite musical groupings. There's something so intimate and fun about having two people. Wouldn't you agree, Kurt?" Blaine said. Kurt nodded in response.

"Uh, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Hummel, I'm still a little confused. Would you mind showing us a little duet?" a Latina cheerleader name Sammy called, with a big, devious smile on her face. It kind of reminded Blaine of his girlfriend.

Kurt nodded again, completely unaware of the queen-bitch grin on the girl's face. "Sure, Sammy. Blaine...I think you know the song. Hit it!"

The pianist and the band began to play, and Blaine couldn't help but smile and sigh at the opening notes. He knew this song well.

"The power lines went out, I am all alone. But I don't really care at all, not answering my phone..." Kurt's beautiful voice sang.

Blaine joined in. "All the games you played, the promises you made, couldn't finish what you started, only darkness still remains..."

"Lost sight, couldn't see. When it was you and me, blow the candles out, looks like a solo tonight..."

Their voices did indeed meld together, and when the song ended, everybody clapped as the two men stared into each others' eyes. Then Blaine blinked.

"Excuse me," he mumbled, and as quick as a flash, he was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello, lovely readers! Here's a couple new chapters for you. Please, enjoy! Reviews are always welcome.**

**Also, while the characters in this chapter are technically OC, I think you'll find I am not that creative, and you're going to be able to recognize them. :) Love you all.**

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><p>"They're so good!" Brenda whispered loudly to Sammy after glee club ended.<p>

"Yeah, they are. They're also totally in love with each other," replied Sammy, with one corner of her lip upturned.

"That's crazy. No! Wait..." Brenda said, "Oh my God you're right!"

The other cheerleader in glee club, Lucy, approached them.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked, moving in between the girls to take her rightful spot in the center.

"Our glee directors are in love with each other," Sammy stated blandly, as though the topic was of no interest to her.

Lucy gasped and gently slapped her friend on the arm. "Sammy! You can't just say something like that! Blaine has a girlfriend!"

"What girlfriend?" Sammy asked, startled.

"You know, Ms. Lopez?" Lucy replied, "She talks about him all the time in Spanish. I can't believe you didn't know."

"Yeah, I don't take Spanish. Everything I'll ever need to know I learned from _mi abuela_," Sammy said with a slightly bitter tone to her voice.

"Whatever. Anyways, you can't just go around saying that they're dating. Mr. Anderson is straight."

"Oh nuh-uh. Mr. Anderson is the mayor of Gaytown. Actually, he's second-in-command, right after Mr. Hummel. Only Anderson isn't out of the closet, and he should be," Sammy replied to Lucy with a sly, queen bitch smile spreading across her face.

"Well, you can't just out him, that would be wrong. Like the butts of those big monkeys," Brenda said seriously. The other girls just let this strange comment roll off their backs.

"Yeah, Sammy. We need to keep our mouths shut about this. They'll probably end up getting together anyways, right?" Lucy said.

Sammy sighed. "I guess. But if they're not a hot item by the end of the year, I'm staging an intervention. Latino soap opera style."

Then, the three cheerleaders parted ways, prancing off to their next classes with their high ponies swinging behind them.


	9. Chapter 9

Blaine walked into the staff room the next morning with his earbuds in. Upon seeing him, Santana clicked over in her heels, promptly plucked out his earbuds, and forcefully pressed her fit body against his and began kissing him. Blaine squirmed.

"Santana! Not here! And I need that back. I promised the kids in glee club that I would have at least one song for them to do at Sectionals by this afternoon," Blaine said, taking his iPod back.

"But Blainey," Santana whined, "I miss you! We haven't done "it" in-"

"Later, okay? I just...I just really need to finish this."

Santana rolled her eyes, nodded, and left the room, while Blaine sat down at a table, placed the earbuds back in his ears, and started scribbling ferociously in a notebook.

All this time, Kurt had been watching from the far side of the room. He kept staring as Blaine nibbled on his lower lip and bobbed his head a little bit to the music. Then, it appeared as though a new song came on, and a huge grin spread across his face.

Kurt abruptly stood up, walked over to Blaine, and sat down in the chair across from him. Blaine didn't look up.

"Hey there," Kurt said, a smile creeping onto his face. Blaine looked up, startled, and upon finding Kurt there, began rearranging himself and blushing.

"Oh, hey, Kurt!" Blaine squeaked, still a little bit flustered.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Hey!"

"Hey!"

Both men cracked up. Then Kurt became suddenly serious.

"Blaine. I think we seriously do need to talk. You know, about when you... _sorta-kinda-kissed-me_." His voiced quieted as he said the last part in a rush.

"Yeah. I have to apologize. I have no idea what I was thinking. I think I have to go, I have a class next period. Bye," Blaine said, and he stood up.

"No!" Kurt near-shouted, "I'm not letting you leave. Look, if we have to go somewhere more private, we can, okay?"

Blaine sighed, and Kurt could tell that the other man was close to tears. "There's nothing to talk about, Kurt. See you later."

And then he was gone. Kurt kicked the table leg nearest to him in an attempt to let out his anguish. It didn't work. Why did Blaine always have to run out of the room when he got uncomfortable? Kurt didn't know whether to question his theories that Blaine was gay, or to confirm them.

Soon, Kurt resolved, he will get that godforsaken, frustrating, possibly closeted, devastatingly sexy man to open up to him.


	10. Chapter 10

"Mmmm," Santana moaned forcefully as she pulled Blaine down by his bow tie and licked the insides of his mouth. They were making out on top of Blaine's desk in his office. Luckily, there were blinds to cover the windows.

"You're so sexy, baby. Do you think I'm sexy?" Santana purred.

Blaine stopped kissing her for a second. Was Santana sexy?

"Yeah, you're sexy," he said before putting his lips on hers again.

Santana sat up suddenly, breaking off the kiss. "You hesitated."

"I didn't hesitate!"

"Yes you did! You hesitated! You don't think I'm sexy! Am not appealing enough to you?" Santana whined, tears welling up in her eyes. She jumped off the desk and headed towards the door.

"No, no, no, I think you're really sexy! I just was, you know, caught up in all of your sexiness that I couldn't think straight!" Blaine called after her as she left his office. Then a weird thing happened inside his brain.

_Yep, you definitely can't think _**_straight_**_,_ one part of his brain said.

_Wait, what?_ another part of it said.

_You know you were thinking about Hummel while you and her were making out_, the first part sing-songed.

_No I wasn't, I was touching Santana's sexy boobs,_ the other protested.

_And thinking about Kurt's dick! Can we go kiss Kurt now?_ the first part pleaded.

Blaine shook himself. Where the hell had that come from? He must be tired. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Admittedly, that was because he had woken up at 3 am last night sporting a massive erection, the likes of which hadn't happened since high school.

Probably because you were waiting for this make-out session with Santana, he told himself. But there was still that other part of his head that told him that wasn't the reason, and that wasn't the person.


	11. Chapter 11

"Mr. Anderson!" Kurt called down the hallway to Blaine, who was walking out of his office. He looked up, saw Kurt, smiled, and then turned bright red.

"Oh, hey, how's it going, Mr. Hummel?" Blaine said nonchalantly.

"Alright. Can we talk? I just, uh, have some ideas for glee club that I think you should hear." Kurt motioned at the door to Blaine's office.

"Yeah, sure," Blaine said, and then went inside.

Blaine closed the door with a _thump_, and Kurt started talking rapidly. "Okay, look. This isn't really about glee. I just- I mean, I'm really confused right now, and I need you to hear me out and not go running out of the room again just like every other time I've- what the hell is that?" He pointed to the bright red silky scarf that was lying on the floor.

Blaine blushed and kicked it under the desk. "Nothing, nothing. It's my girlfriend's."

"Um, okay. That's kind of the thing. I mean- I guess- I think-" he sighed. "What I'm trying to say is... Are you gay, Blaine?"

"No, of course I'm not! Haven't you seen my girlfriend?"

"I've seen her. But I've also seen other things. Like your apt for musical theater, and the way you dance, and your impeccable- if a bit preppy- sense of style. I know those are all totally stereotypes, but there are other things. We sing flirty duets together, Blaine. Was I supposed to think that was nothing? Not to mention that day in the auditorium when we kind of sort of maybe kissed!"

Blaine stared intently at his shoes. He took a deep breath, and said, "Kurt. I'm really sorry if I led you on or anything, but I'm not. Gay, I mean. And don't get me wrong, I don't have any issue with you- you are, right?"

"How'd you ever guess," Kurt deadpanned, glancing at the floor to hide his disappointment.

"Yeah. I don't have a problem with you, but I'm not. So..."

"So."

"So." Blaine hopped off the desk which he had been leaning against and made for the door. "I'll see you in glee club tomorrow, right?"

"Right. And, Blaine?" Kurt asked, his voice cracking just the slightest bit, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Blaine asked as he opened the door.

"Just... Sorry."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi guys! Hope you're ready for another few chapters. It only gets more wild from here. Love, your dashing author, and as always, reviews of any variety are welcomed.**

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><p>Glee club proceeded as usual. It seemed as though there was little remaining tension between the two directors, and although they didn't sing together anymore, they were still friendly and collaborated swimmingly.<p>

Blaine hated it.

He missed their glances at each other that communicated almost as much as a real conversation, the way they used to brush arms when they would perch side by side on top of the piano, critiquing student performances together, and most of all, he missed singing with Kurt.

Which didn't really make sense, because he didn't _like-like_ Kurt. He was straight, which meant incapable of liking Kurt in that way. He decided that it was just their friendship that he had been longing for, and that he would have to get over it because Kurt obviously _like-liked_ him and it would be horrible to put him through the treacherous horrors of the friend zone.

_Like-like?_ Blaine thought, shaking his head, _What am I? In high school?_

Oh, did he miss their duets.

After glee rehearsal one afternoon, Blaine decided to approach Kurt.

"Hey," he said, "So how about that Rebecca girl?"

Kurt turned to him and smiled. "She's got some serious star power. Kind of reminds me of my best friend from high school-crazy talented, and she knows it."

"Should I want to meet this best friend of yours?" Blaine said, "I mean, she sounds kind of scary."

"She is," Kurt chuckled, "But in a good way. She's on Broadway now."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why did you never pursue Broadway? You've got the voice, the drive- why'd you give up?" Blaine asked, tensing up. He and Kurt didn't really ask each other personal questions like this. Luckily, Kurt didn't seem to mind.

"I don't know," he said with a smile, "I moved up to New York right after high school, but it wasn't for me. It suits Rachel-that's my friend-much better. Somewhere along the way I realized that teaching theater and music to kids is much more enjoyable for me. Is that weird?"

"No, of course not," Blaine replied, "I mean, performing is still really fun for me, even though this has been my first time since high school. I'm really glad you came here and made me start singing again, you know. You've kind of been my saving grace."

Kurt smiled shyly. "Your saving grace?"

Blaine nodded, drawing closer to the man next to him. "In more ways than one."

Then, as though a wave of sudden lust and longing had captured him, Kurt lunged forward and grabbed hold of Blaine's upper arms, sending Blaine back onto the top of the piano. Their lips crashed together, and Blaine's hands flew up to cup Kurt's jaw. Together they rocked back and forth, Blaine's legs raising up to wrap around Kurt's thighs and backside. What had started out as a mellow kiss was now turning into a fully-fledged make-out, with tongues darting out of mouths and exploring.

It was the most amazing kiss Blaine had ever had, ever.

_Oh God._

"Kuuuuuurt," Blaine said. What he had meant to sound as a warning to stop came out of his mouth as a longing moan.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered back into his mouth.

"Kurt!" Blaine said, more forcefully this time, and he unwrapped his legs and pushed Kurt away.

"I'm sorry," Kurt said timidly, and it was so adorable that Blaine wanted to wrap him up in his arms and kiss him all over again, all over his body and everywhere and-

_Whoa. What the hell?_

"No!" Blaine yelled, "I mean. No. I'm sorry. I gotta-"

"Don't you dare say that you gotta go." Kurt's eyes bored into Blaine so deeply that Blaine paid attention.

Kurt continued. "Listen, I know that you've got a girlfriend. I know that. And I'm really sorry that you're confused about...whatever this is. Don't even try denying it, we've got some crazy chemistry. I really, really like you, Blaine. And I know you like me, you're just not ready to admit it. But Blaine, you have to have the courage to. Courage."

"I- I can't," Blaine choked, the corners of his eyes becoming wet with tears.

"You can't what?"

"Be courageous! I have a girlfriend, good friends, a good life. I just can't be courageous."

"Well, why the hell not?" Kurt yelled, then quickly backing away some more when he became aware of his volume. "I mean, it's 2018, for Christ's sake. Why can't you-"

"I bought her a ring, you know," Blaine said abruptly.

"What?"

"I said, I have a ring. I'm going to propose to Santana. We'll get married, have kids when we're ready, grow old together. It's how it's going to work. And you- you just don't fit into the picture. I'm sorry. Now I actually have to go. See you in glee."

Blaine nearly ran out of the room, and Kurt was left to dwell in his own frustrated longing.


	13. Chapter 13

"Well hello, Mister Hummel."

"Rachel. Do you have time to talk?"

"Actually, yes. As you know, my rehearsal schedule is extremely rigorous, but we just let out for the night. So, what's the hot scoop in Lima these days?"

"Drama."

"Drama?"

"Yes, drama."

"Oh, Kurt. Is your co-director boytoy letting you down?"

"He's not my-nevermind. He's going to propose to his girlfriend."

"So he is straight, after all! I'm so sorry-"

"No, no, he's definitely gay. I confirmed that. But he doesn't want to come out of the closet. He literally told me that he wanted to play it safe-or should I say, play it straight-for the rest of his life!"

"Oh, man. That's rough. Are you sure this guy worth it?"

"God, Rach. Of course he is. He's perfect. He's wonderfully talented, he's polite, our personalities just click so well together, and he's probably the single most interesting man in all of Ohio. Oh, and did I mention how utterly gorgeous he is?"

"Really? That gorgeous? What's his name? I'm gonna Google him."

"Blaine Anderson. I mean, just earlier, before he told me about his plan to propose to his girlfriend and all of that, we were kissing, and I swear-"

"DAMN, Kurt! That man is fine. If he really wants to play it straight, tell him to call me."

"Um, no. But do you have any suggestions on how to empower someone to come out?"

"I'll think about it. My best gay was delivered to me out and proud, so I haven't had much experience."

"Aw, thanks, Rach. I should go. I think I might be over-thinking this."

"Okay, Kurtie-Pie. Good luck with your-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"Fine, fine. Ciao!"

Kurt hung up the phone with a dissatisfied "harrumph" and crawled into bed.


	14. Chapter 14

"Hello there, little brother!" Cooper's chipper voice came from the cell phone.

"Hey, Coop. How's it going in LA?"

"It's grand, just grand. I just got cast in a commercial for deodorant, and I hear there's gonna be tons of hot chicks in it!"

Blaine chuckled half-heartedly. Cooper noticed.

"So what's going on with you, B? You seem a little down in the dumps."

"I don't know. I'm just feeling kind of...confused. Like I don't know what to do with my life, I don't know what choices to make."

"Well, I can tell you that it is very important to make strong choices all the time or else you won't get cast. I learned that back in Acting 101 in college. Good times, good times." Cooper laughed. "What's up with that smoking babe you were dating last time I visited? Did she break up with you?"

"No, she didn't, we're still together."

"Damn. If you weren't, I would want to get a piece of that. Anyways, how long have you two been going?"

"About two years."

"And why aren't you married yet?"

"Coop!"

"What? I'm just saying. It's about time you ask her, or else she might get bored. Women in Ohio, they're looking to get settled down and start a family. That's the reason I'm in Cali."

"But we're only 25. It's not like we're ancient or anything."

"So what? If she's the one, she's the one."

Blaine sighed.

"Wait... Is she not the one? Blaine!"

"I don't know. I just don't know."

"Well, if I were you, I'd take my smarter, handsomer, older brother's advice and marry that chick. Okay?"

"Bye, Cooper. Thanks."

Blaine hung up the phone and struggled to hold back his tears.


	15. Chapter 15

On Sunday night, Kurt settled into his La-Z-Boy love seat with a salad of fresh greens and low-fat goat cheese, with which he paired a glass of Pinot Gris. He had graded all his students' papers, Moulin Rouge was playing on HBO, and he was feeling just a little bit drowsy.

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted Kurt's thoughts. He sighed, and brought his wine with him to answer.

"Blaine!"

Kurt was utterly taken aback-what was Blaine Anderson doing here at 9 pm on a Sunday? The usually well-put-together young man looked almost sloppy. His normally gelled-back curls hung loose, his lips were chapped, his bow tie was crooked, and his eyes were bloodshot. Still, it looked as though he had made a bit of an effort to tidy himself. Kurt could see that Blaine had run his fingers through his hair in an attempt to smooth it, and-wait-had he also run them through his triangular eyebrows?

_Still handsome_, Kurt thought, then scolded himself.

"Hi, Kurt. Sorry, sorry." Blaine said wearily.

"Sorry for what?" Kurt asked, with a lilt of confusion in his tone.

"I shouldn't have even come. I just-you told me you lived here, and I really needed yo- I mean- someone. Do you want me to leave?" Blaine looked at Kurt's wine glass with widening eyes. "Oh God, do you have company? I'm so-"

"No, it's completely fine! It's just me," Kurt assured, "Come on in."

The men walked into the tastefully decorated living room, and Kurt sat back down on the couch.

"Nice place," Blaine commented.

"Thanks. Did it myself."

"It's beautiful. Oh! I love this movie!"

Kurt motioned for Blaine to sit down, and after a fleeting glance at the door and an uncomfortable shifting of his weight, Blaine complied.

"So," Kurt said quietly, "Would you like to tell me why you're here? I mean, it's no inconvenience, quite the opposite actually, you're welcome to just show up whenever, it's a pleasure-sorry. I'm rambling. Tell your story."

"There's not much to tell, really," Blaine replied, still staring at the TV.

Kurt glared at him. "Blaine."

The curly-haired man looked at Kurt, then at the door, then down at his feet. "Today, I told my brother that I'm going to propose to Santana," he mumbled.

"That's...great," Kurt said, although the crack in his voice gave away his insincerity.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them, and then...

"No it's not!" Blaine cried. He leaned even close to Kurt and buried his head in the other man's shoulder.

Kurt immediately wrapped his arms around Blaine. "Shhh..." he whispered softly, "It'll be okay. Don't cry. Shhh."

"That's the thing," Blaine said into Kurt's sweater, "It won't. Tomorrow, I'm going to have to propose to my girlfriend and we're going to have to get married and have kids and I'll have to live with her and pretend like I'm something I'm not! You're lucky, Kurt. You came out in high school, and you're so courageous and confident and proud. For me, I- I just can't."

"Why not?" Kurt murmured into Blaine's ear, "Why do you have to propose to Santana? You could come out, you wouldn't have to pretend anymore."

"I just-"

"I get it, Blaine. I understand! Or, at least, I'm guessing that you feel like it's too late for you to come out, like your time has passed, like you're dedicated to this lifestyle of playing straight. But it's never too late. There's so few reasons for you to go with this plan and be miserable, and so many for you to be honest with the world. And I may just be being selfish about this, whatever. But you mean a lot to me, Blaine, you know that. I don't think I could stand to see you suffer."

A long silence followed Kurt's statement. The clock ticked idly on the mantle. Then, Blaine sat straight up.

"I'm gay." Blaine said.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm gay!" he yelled, "And I'm not just a little gay. I'm completely, irreversibly, all-out, hella gay."

Kurt started laughing. Blaine joined in, and soon they were clutching at their sides, struggling for breath.

"I know you're hella gay! I'm hella gay, too!" Kurt said joyfully.

Once their laughter died down, Blaine looked Kurt deeply in the eye. "Can you...hold me for a little bit? I just need to think."

And with a slight nod of the head and a smile, Kurt scooted back on the couch and let Blaine lie down on his chest. Immediately, long, nimble fingers entangled themselves in Blaine's curls and he snuggled back, breathing in the scent of Kurt.

"You should keep your hair natural more often," Kurt murmured, "Although you might think about using a comb."

Blaine smiled at Kurt's teasing tone. They watched the movie for another half hour in silence. Then, the opening notes of a song filled the room, and Blaine started singing along quietly.

"Never knew I could feel like this, never thought I'd seen the sky before. Want to vanish inside your kiss... Seasons may change, winter to spring, but I love you until the end of time. Come what may, come what may, I will love you until my dying day."

They both sat up. Kurt came in on Satine's part, and the two were singing in perfect harmony, staring directly into each other's souls.

"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place, suddenly it moves which such a perfect grace, suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste, it all revolves around you."

And then they were on their feet, slow dancing and singing with all that they had inside of them.

"And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide, sing out this song and I'll be there by your side. Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide, but I love you until the end of time. Come what may, come what may, I will love you, I will love you."

As the song ended and the movie drew to a close, Kurt and Blaine collapsed on the couch in each other's arms. Kurt shut off the TV with the remote control, and wrapped Blaine in his embrace. He kissed the mop of curls, and the two tired boys fell asleep wrapped around each other.


End file.
